Not All That Glitters
by Zero Rewind
Summary: Not all potions have been beneficial to Wizarding Society. One of which, is the De-Aging Potion. Warning: this is a fairly dark story.


Just an idea that refused to leave my mind right after I wrote Chapter 28 of Lightning Dragon's Roar.

Warning: Dark theme.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter.

 **ooooooooooooooo**

 **Not All That Glitters  
** **A Harry Potter Fanfiction  
** **By Zero Rewind  
** **© 2015**

 **ooooooooooooooo**

"Yes!" A man celebrated in his basement. He was of average height, and had brown, shaggy hair, and brown eyes, and was wearing some maroon robes, and some fluffy white shoes. Likely a present from his wife, or significant other.

The cheering man was a wizard, a member of a society which wielded the power of magic.

In front of the man, stood a medium sized, bubbling cauldron.

"What's going on?" A woman was heard as she walked down the stairs. She saw her husband, standing in front of his cauldron, looking like Christmas had come early. The woman had a curious look on her round face; her bright, blue eyes giving him a speculative look.

"I've finally done it, Laura." The man embraced his wife, Laura, kissing her soundly.

She smiled back, and ran her hand through her long, black hair. "What exactly have you managed to do, Robert?"

"Keep it a secret, but..." Robert said. "I've managed to create a De-Aging Potion."

Laura stared at the man for a moment, looking incredulous. Then she grinned widely. "A De-Aging Potion, you say?"

"Yes! Come see." He led her into a side room. A large table stood at the center. On the table, Laura could see several cages with various rodents, lizards, and birds. She stood on the side as Robert went back to the cauldron, likely retrieving some more potion to demonstrate.

A few moments later, Robert re-entered the testing room, and motioned for Laura to come closer.

Laura could have sworn she heard several _pops_ in the air, but merely dismissed the thought as her own imagination. Their house had been warded against Apparition. It was likely her imagination.

With a wave of his wand, Robert switched the water in a cage's water container with the potion. With another wave, he compelled a very old looking rat to drink.

Said rat did as ordered. Nothing happened.

"I thought you said—"

" _Watch._ " Robert interrupted patiently.

So she watched.

Suddenly, before her eyes, the old, scruffy looking rat began to shrink, and shrink, and shrink, until he looked like a young newborn. It squeaked cutely, a few times.

"As you can see." Robert grinned as waved his wand over the de-aged rodent, running some scans. "It can reduce age. My potion is a success."

"Amazing!" Laura said, moving around the table and hugging her husband. "This is just marvelous. How did you manage to do it?"

"It was not actually that difficult." Robert admitted with a hint of confusion. "To be honest, I am not certain how no one has created this yet."

"Oh, don't be so humble!" Laura laughed at his attitude. "We can be forever young, with this! Can you control the exact age that the potion will revert you into?"

"Yes." Robert nodded, going into his 'Potion Master' mode. "It all depends on the concentration of Shrivelfig blood you put in the potion."

"That is simply amazing, my dear." Laura said and kissed him once more.

"Yes, I can't wait to try it— and imagine, if everyone had access to it!" Robert looked positively giddy, turning to look at the young rat once more, pride in his features.

" _Avada Kedavra_." The rush of green light took the married couple completely by surprise. The light engulfed Laura, and she fell to the ground, unmoving. Robert immediately knelt by her side.

"Laura?" He said quickly as he shook her.

No response.

"Laura! Come on, get up." He shook her harder, but there still was no response.

"Stop joking around, honey!" His voice was raised. "This isn't funny!"

As the implications of the event sank in, Robert quickly got up, pointing his wand fearfully at the source of the curse. He snarled at them.

In front of him, stood an old. blank faced wizard, wand drawn. Two wizards stood behind him, also having drawn their wands.

"Why!?" Robert yelled out, realizing he wasn't likely going to make it out of here, alive. "Why would you do something like this?"

"Sadly," The wizard began, eyeing the Potion Master with a piercing gaze. "You've brought this upon yourself."

"What does that even mean?" Robert said angrily. "You broke into my home, and killed my wife without provocation. How is that my fault!?"

"That's because—"

"Oi, Patterson." One of the men behind the lead wizard interrupted. "Why are you humoring this bloke? Kill him already."

The lead wizard, Patterson, turned to the man.

"Why don't you keep your damned mouth shut, Anderson?" The lead wizard snarled, and Anderson flinched visibly from the gesture.

Patterson turned to Robert, and began to speak again.

"As I was saying," Patterson started. "You caused this to happen because you created that potion."

Robert let his words sink in, before exploding in rage.

"The potion!?" Robert spat out balefully. "You killed my wife over a potion!"

"Yes."

"What kind of sick, _twisted—_ "

"Tell me, Mr. Robert." The man started at the use of his name. "What do you think would happen if you begin to give your potion away to everyone?"

Robert didn't answer, merely glaring hatefully at Patterson.

"No?" Patterson said after a few moments of silence. "In that case, I'll tell you. You use the potion, and you and your friends are now forever young, provided you continually take the potion every few weeks."

"What do you mean? The potion doesn't have a—"

"Yes, it does. Thirteen days, and six hours, to be precise." Patterson interrupted without missing a beat.

"W-Wha—"

"You see, Mr. Robert." Patterson walked around the room, gazing at the various animals within. "You aren't the first wizard to have discovered the De-Aging Potion. You certainly won't be the last."

"Anyway," Patterson said, ignoring Robert's pale face. "What happens? You, your friends, and anyone you give this to are always young now. No one will die from old age. Disease maybe, some accidents for sure, but never old age. They end up giving it to their children, and their grand-children. And so on. In a few generations, we would simply exhaust all the magical resources available to us.

"So the Department of Mysteries created a sub-division for situations just like this. We're formally known as the 'Balance Maintainers', though some refer to us jokingly as the 'Disaster Preventers'." Patterson had an amused smile on his face, but his eyes held no mirth, for he did not look forward to what he was about to do.

"When someone says the words 'De-Aging Potion', 'De-Aging Solution', or any of its alternate names, the wards around their homes collapse, and we Apparate to their location."

"W-Why are you telling me all of this?" Robert asked fearfully.

"I believed you deserved to know exactly why you're about to die."

"No, wait!"

" _Avada Kedavra._ "

And with another flash of green light, Robert dropped to the ground, next to his deceased wife, Laura.

Patterson rubbed at his eyes for a few moments, before turning to his colleagues, who looked stone faced at the murder they witnessed.

"Dispose of any notes of the potion, and then torch the place." Patterson began to exit the room. "Standard procedure, gentlemen."

"What're you going to do?" Anderson asked.

Patterson gave the man a cursory glance.

"I'm going to report to Minister Shacklebolt, and tell him what happened here. He won't like it, but.." Patterson trailed off, and left the room.

Minutes later, the house of Robert and Laura erupted in a glorious blaze, making it seem like it was an accident.

In the following days, Robert and Laura would be mourned by their friends and relatives. Funerals would be held, tearful goodbyes would be said, and their souls would be laid to rest.

 **ooooooooooooo**

Not all that glitters is gold, and not all potions are beneficial.


End file.
